Our pledge: Labour will keep the same low Council Tax

Bedford Ward Councillor is new Tooting MP

Thank you to everyone who voted for Rosena to be our new MP in Tooting, following Sadiq Khan becoming Mayor of London. It was an intense, short, by-election campaign, and Rosena won with 17,894 votes to Dan Watkin’s (Conservative) 11,537 votes. This is a substantial increase in the Labour majority in Tooting.

For Bedford ward residents, this means that Rosena is both your local Wandsworth ward councillor and your MP. She’ll work hard for you in both roles.

I heard about the murder of Jo Cox whilst I was out canvassing for Rosena in the rain and thunder and was as shocked as everyone else. The two seem so connected with democracy in action as Jo went to her surgery and we were electing a new MP. Jo was an international development campaigner and many people I work with knew her, and together we watched her move from development into politics.

Vigil at Parliament Square

To think that someone felt so violently towards her is too much to understand. The statement by Brendan Cox, her husband, is amazing. To be so lucid, focused on love and inspiring at such a time of huge loss is incredible. As he says we must unite to fight against hatred, wherever and whenever we see it. It has made me reflect on how we conduct politics and redouble my efforts to build a better world in how we relate to each other, in what we stand up for and in building community locally and internationally.